If Ashley Barnes leaves how will he be remembered?

[Oscar]

I think most - but not all - will remember him fondly until the first time he plays against us and then he will become one of the most hated former Albion players ever.

 

[Brighton Breezy]

I think most - but not all - will remember him fondly until the first time he plays against us and then he will become one of the most hated former Albion players ever.

I may be wrong - hopefully I am - but I can certainly see an ear-cupping celebration if he ends up notching against the Albion...

 

[maglers]

As a striker who tries to kick or head the ball as hard as he can in front of goal, which is why he mistimes so many chances and ends up missing. He would improve immeasurably as a player if someone could teach him how to pass the ball into the net...

 

[Lady Whistledown]

I may be wrong - hopefully I am - but I can certainly see an ear-cupping celebration if he ends up notching against the Albion...

Like he did at Plymouth.

 

[Herne Hill Seagull]

...well worth keeping for the poultry fee we get.

Hen.

*Ahem* Anyway. My biggest issue with it is not with Barnes himself - I have no particularly strong feelings either way on him specifically. What I do care about, though, is potentially strengthening a divisional rival, particularly with a striker. They're not easy to come by. I recognise that, with his contract situation, the club has little option but to take the money that's on offer now, but it's hardly ideal for us that he's likely going to a play-off rival.

 

[Bold Seagull]

I recognise that, with his contract situation, the club has little option but to take the money that's on offer now, but it's hardly ideal for us that he's likely going to a play-off rival.

They have the option of offering him a better deal of course...

 

[Cheeky Monkey]

I'll remember him fondly as a cheeky young scamp with a fairly substantial pair of bum cheeks. That boy can sure fill a pair of Albion shorts, home or away. Ashley's got back!

 

[Herne Hill Seagull]

Perhaps they have. It seems unlikely they'd sell him like this if they had a free hand.

 

[clippedgull]

I may be wrong - hopefully I am - but I can certainly see an ear-cupping celebration if he ends up notching against the Albion...

Which will make him no better than those who choose to abuse him. Sometimes these players forget that the thousands they take home each week come from people who work for a living. I'm not saying it's right to abuse but 'professionals' should be above that.

 

[Not Andy Naylor]

As someone who made the most of the talent he had and was appreciated for that by managers and coaches, if not all suppporters. Paid the price in the eyes of some of our shallower brethren for not being as gifted or as articulate as many of his team-mates, but his contribution was often as valuable in its way as those of Buckley, David, Bridcutt or KLL. He scored the goal that won us promotion by sticking his head bravely into a busy six-yard box and twice came close to putting us ahead in the play-off semi-final second leg that some brain-dead idiots still claim Poyet wanted to lose.

 

[LamieRobertson]

Always gave 100%

 

[Hastings woody]

Remembered for scoring some cracking goals but also missing alot of sitters.

 

[grawhite]

I wish him well and success where ever he ends up, but all this bullshit about a player not being able to celebrate against a previous clubs is total bollox, never use to get all this abuse back in the 70's and 80's when players made sure the other team knew he had scored.

 

[Return of the Rev]

My memory will be of the first time i set eyes on the young man,he was warming up for boro at the dripping pan and just about to come on(in the football sense)
He was stretching and talking nicely to the fans and i thought what a very nice young man.
good luck ASH

 

[Medwayseagull]

Not the greatest intellectual to have played for the club.

 

[gripper stebson]

A decent player who probably needs replacing if we have Premier League aspirations in the future.

PS - It is fun on Twitter watching Burnley and Leeds fans talking like they are signing Ronaldo!

 

[Man of Harveys]

A bloody good, solid player. I reckon he'll thrive.

 

[JCL - the new kid in town]

Spot on. Barnes has done nothing wrong. I don't know exactly when he signed his current contract with us, but it could be that it was quite a while ago and he is therefore on a relatively low wage in comparison with many of his team-mates who have signed more recently. The Albion might not want to/be able to afford to offer him the sort of rise that another club bringing in a brand new player can. I've no real idea of the numbers, but for example if Barnes is earning £2.5k a week now and Burnley are offering £7.5k as some people have rumoured, then matching that will cost the Albion an extra £250k a season. That might therefore mean we can't sign any other strikers, as too much of the budget would be going on Barnes. How would the fans react if the club announced Barnes has signed a new deal but we won't be able to sign any other new forwards on top of Ulloa/Barnes/CMS for the next two years? Pretty badly I reckon, so it's easy to see why the Albion's offer might be for a more modest increase. Barnes is therefore well within his rights to stick it out and see what he gets offered in the summer, when other clubs will probably pay him even more as they won't have to find a transfer fee too. The fact he is continuing to play well and put in 100% is to his credit and means he will always be welcomed back, unlike Bridcutt.

Yes it may cost an extra 250k to keep him however how much more would it cost to replace him as if we're looking for a new striker? any new first team player would want first team wages so to say it is too much of an increase on his current wages is too simplistic surely?

 

[WATFORD zero]

A bit like David Beckham




you know that he will make the maximum of the talent he was born with

And definitely one you want in a battle

 

[Brighton Breezy]

but his contribution was often as valuable in its way as those of Buckley, David, Bridcutt or KLL.

I think that is a very good point. His overall contribution to the Albion's recent success has been far higher than those players (apart from Bridcutt) - and numerous others.